Down for the Count
by writeallnight
Summary: Casey thought he was fine after Voight's thugs roughed him up. He could not have been more wrong. Casey whump!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So…this is my first Chicago Fire vic! Yay! I've had this one in the works for awhile and since we've had so many lovely snow days up here in the northeast I was finally able to start polishing it enough to post it.

So this takes place during Season 1 "Hanging On". While I appreciate the fact that Matt actually went to the hospital (unlike some other occasions) it still wasn't enough for me. So, I…took some liberties. Enjoy!

PS: Not mine! I teach music for a living Dick Wolf so please don't come after me!

* * *

Matt Casey was not a small man. He'd been in his share of knock down, drag out fights over the years and more often than not he'd walked away the victor. In high school he'd been an all state wrestling champion and he spent countless hours at the gym every week.

None of that mattered one bit when the first punch slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling into the alley next to the corner market. It took only a few seconds for the initial shock to wear off and reality to set in. He was being attacked.

He started swinging without even realizing it, managing to land a few punches of his own before one of his attacker's slammed his head into a trash can.

Spots danced before his eyes and the next thing he knew he was on the ground. Pain exploded across his side, the air leaving his lungs in a whoosh as booted feet kicked repeatedly at his ribs. He instinctively curled into a ball in an attempt to protect himself but the feet continued to find their mark for what seemed like a very long time.

And then suddenly they were gone. Casey blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. What the hell had just happened?

"Sir? Sir are you all right?"

The blood pounding painfully in Casey's ears was making it hard to focus.

"Hey, don't move all right? We called 911."

He could hear people moving around and talking. A crowd was starting to gather. He needed to get up.

Casey began to struggle into a sitting position. "Hey, hey, just take it easy," a man in his fifties put his hand on Casey's chest and tried to hold him still.

Casey ignored him and tried to find his wallet. It was still in his pocket. Not a mugging. Then why?

The thought formed slowly. Voight. Voight had done this. He was sending a message. Casey wasn't safe anywhere. Not even in his own neighborhood.

Casey let his head fall back against the pavement. His ribs were burning making it hard to breathe and his hip throbbed. At least the world had stopped spinning so fast.

The sound of sirens rent the air and Casey squeezed his eyes closed against the noise which made his head feel like it might split in two. He must have blacked out for a few minutes because the next thing he knew someone was calling his name. "Matt? Matt Casey?"

He opened his eyes slowly. "Rich?" he asked.

Rich and Sarah were paramedics out of eighty seven. They'd met a couple times at the picnic. Rich had a daughter in college and Sarah was engaged to a television anchor.

"What the hell happened to you?" Rich asked as he began to cut away Casey's shirt. "You look awful."

Casey groaned as the paramedic's hands found his ribs. "Hey, that's a little tender huh?" Rich asked.

"Yeah, just a little," Casey managed.

"Casey can you tell me what day it is?" Sarah asked.

Of course he could tell her the day. It was Wednesday right? Or maybe Tuesday? When had he been at work? "I…I don't…"

"Okay, it's all right Casey. We're going to get you all patched up. Just try to relax," Sarah told him. "Rich I don't like the looks of that bruise. Could be broken ribs or internal bleeding."

"Let's get him out of here."

"The police want to talk to you for a minute. You feel up to it?" Rich asked after they had him on a gurney.

"Sure."

The officer who approached was a stranger to Casey. "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"

"I was attacked by two men. They pushed me into the alley."

"Did they say anything? Tell you why they were attacking you?"

Casey seethed in silence for a moment. "I want to talk to Antonio Dawson out of Vice. He can meet me Lakeshore. I'll tell him everything."

"Sir, I'd rather you just-"

"Officer, this is _Lieutenant_ Matt Casey of the CFD," Sarah piped up, making sure to emphasize his rank.

The officer thought for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "I'll give him a call. You feel better Lieutenant."

Within minutes they were racing toward Lakeshore. Every bump the ambulance went over jarred Casey's body painfully. He gritted his teeth as they hit a particularly large pothole. "Hang on, Lieutenant. We're almost there," Sarah assured him as she adjusted the IV in his arm.

The pulled into Lakeshore and Rich opened the back doors allowing Sarah room to jump out and remove the gurney with Casey on board.

"Thirty three year old male. Possible internal bleeding and head trauma," Rich told the approaching doctor as they went through the automatic doors.

Casey didn't recognize him, unusual considering how much time he'd spent at Lakeshore over the years. "I'm Dr. Gutierez. What's your name?" the man asked.

"Matt," the Lieutenant said.

"You want to tell me what happened Matt? Bar fight?"

"Something like that."

"Matt?"

The new voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion and so familiar he thought he might cry. Matt shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the hospital bed as Hallie hurried over. "Baby what happened?" she asked worriedly, her eyes searching him for injuries.

"He was brought in for possible internal injuries and head trauma," Dr. Gutierez explained.

Hallie took a deep breath. "Okay, I got this Carl, thanks," she told her colleague.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she waved him off. "Matt what's going on?"

"Some of Voight's thugs." Casey winced as he shifted on the bed. "Antonio Dawson should be here any minute. I need to talk to him."

"You know what that can wait," Hallie was examining the large bruise that was spreading across his side. "What hurts?"

"Hallie-"

"Casey, answer the question," her voice was all business.

He wasn't going to win this one. "My ribs, my hip."

"You hit your head?" Hallie's fingers brushed over his swollen cheek.

"Against a metal dumpster."

Hallie pressed firmly against his rib cage and his agonized cry was almost enough to undo her composure. Casey gripped the sheets and gasped for air as the pain subsided.

"Okay, he's going to need a CT scan and x-ray's," she told the nurse at her side. "Let's get him admitted and up to a room." She gripped Casey's hand tightly. "You're going to be okay Baby."

In the hour that followed Hallie didn't leave his side for more than a few minutes. Every movement was excruciating and after the final transfer from a wheelchair to a hospital bed Casey thought he might pass out. "Hey," Hallie put a hand on his cheek, "take a breath. I'm right here."

Casey couldn't speak, so great was the pain. Every breath was like a knife into his side. It was only made worse by the anger that had been steadily growing inside of him. He was going to kill Voight.

"Here," Hallie handed him an ice-pack. "We'll get you some pain meds as soon as your CT scan comes back. Can't take any chances with a possible head injury."

"It's fine," Casey replied.

It wasn't. He couldn't remember time when he'd felt so awful.

"Boden's on his way," she told him. "I figured he needed to know, especially if you have to take any time off."

"I'm not going to take any time off," Casey protested.

"You'll take time off if I say you will." Hallie narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a look that brooked no nonsense.

"Casey!" Antonio Dawson appeared in the doorway. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" Casey asked angrily.

He knew he was directing his anger at the wrong people but he was so tired and in so much pain he didn't care. "It was two of Voight's thugs. They shoved me into an alley."

"Did they say anything? How do you know they were Voight's?" Antonio asked.

"Who else could they be?" Casey asked angrily. "They didn't take my wallet, they didn't ask me for anything. They just beat the crap out of me and left."

"I'm going to go check on your x-ray results," Hallie told him softly before slipping out of the room.

Antonio rubbed a hand across his face. "You've stepped in some bad shit my friend."

"Then help me get out of it," Casey told him.

"What can you tell me about these guys?"

Casey closed his eyes and tried to picture the fight. "They both had boots on. Bandanas over their faces. One wore a green vest."

"That's good. That's a good start," Antonio pulled out a notebook and started writing down the details. "You sure they didn't say anything to you?"

"No. They just started swinging. I might have gotten a few hits in. Things are a little hazy," Casey told him.

"Yeah I'll bet. I won't take much longer," Antonio looked directly into his eyes. "We'll get Voight, Casey. I promise."

* * *

A/N: So? What'd ya think? Please leave your opinions in the reviews! Also, does anyone else miss Hallie? I really liked the Casey/Hallie pairing. So thanks for that Dick Wolf. Oh well! More to come soon!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey folks! Thanks to all those lovely people who have reviewed so far! It is much appreciated! Sorry this chapter took so long! It's musical season here in the north east and I'm currently helping direct two so not a whole lot of free time right now! Enjoy!

* * *

Casey lay as still as he could in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, turning the events of the day over and over in his mind. Despite his lack of concussion the hospital had insisted on keeping him for observation. Or, rather, Hallie had insisted on keeping him for observation despite the fact that every test they had run had come back negative, even the ones that had been completely unnecessary.

He'd had hours to go over every detail of his attack from beginning to end and no matter how much he thought about it nothing significant came back to him. He couldn't remember their faces. He couldn't remember their voices. He could barely even remember what they'd been wearing. It had all just happened so fast. Maybe if he…

"Hey."

Casey was startled from his thoughts by a knock on his door. He instinctively turned to look and immediately regretted it. The x-rays had proven his ribs weren't broken but when he moved it certainly felt like they were. He winced and turned more slowly to see Severide poking his head in. "Hey," he stepped inside, "Boden told me what happened. You look like hell man."

Casey grimaced as he tried to sit up a little straighter. "Hey take it easy," Kelly moved to help him. "Damn. They really worked you over huh?"

"Yeah," was all Casey could manage.

Kelly sat in a chair near the bed and tossed the white paper bag he'd brought with him onto Casey's lap. "Brought you some real food. Thought you might need it."

"Thanks," Casey replied.

"You talk to Antonio?"

"Yeah."

Kelly rolled his eyes and sat forward. "Come on Casey. Talk to me. You're pissed. I can see it."

Casey clenched his jaw. "Fine. Yeah, I'm pissed. I don't know what to do here. He's untouchable. We can't get near him. He's a god in that police department. And if he can do this to me how am I supposed to keep Hallie safe?"

Kelly shook his head. "I don't know. I'd tell you to just let Antonio handle it, but I honestly don't know if that's the right answer."

They sat quietly for a moment. "You want me to knock some heads together for you?" Kelly finally offered.

Casey sighed. "No. I don't even know who to tell you to hit. Didn't even get a good enough look at the guys to give Antonio a description."

"Is that what you're pissed about? That you don't know what these guys look like? Casey, they were pounding your ass into the sidewalk. No one can blame you for that. Besides, chances are somebody else saw them. Broad daylight like that? They'll catch them."

"Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. 'Don't worry. We'll take care of it. Let the police do their job.' Well guess what? That's what I've been doing and look where it's gotten me!"

"Yeah, I know. I wish I could tell you something different," Kelly said. "But you know I'll back your play. Whatever you decide." He stood. "Look, I have to go. You gonna be all right if I leave you here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"You're not going to do something stupid like try and leave or anything right?"

"I will not leave the hospital," Casey said between gritted teeth.

"Okay, just checking," Kelly held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Stay strong man. I'll see you later."

Casey woke from a nightmare several hours later his eyes swinging wildly around the room, searching for the person who'd been attacking Hallie in his dreams. It took several seconds to shake off the haunting images and get his heart rate back to normal. He took a breath and grimaced as he shifted on the bed trying to find a position that didn't make his ribs throb.

"Hey, you're up." Hallie appeared in the doorway and came to sit on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right," his voice was little more than a croak and he swallowed hard.

She put a hand on his cheek her eyes full of concern. "You're pale and sweaty. Tell me the truth Matt."

He was not going to share the contents of his nightmare with her. "Just a dream. I feel fine."

Her eyes told him she wasn't buying it but she let it go for the moment and for that he was grateful. "Come here."

She moved slowly, trying not to hurt him as she settled against his chest. "We'll get through this," she told him. "You know that right?"

He pulled her closer, ignoring the pain. He needed her in his arms. He needed to know that for this moment at least, she was all right. "I know."

* * *

A/N: So, true confessions time. I sometimes forget that Casey's first name is Matt. Probably because they call him Casey so much on the show. I wrote this chapter and realized that I spent the whole thing referring to him as Casey and Kelly Severide as Kelly. Because honestly, Severide is too long. Thoughts on this subject? Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter three is here! You've been such a great audience so far! Thanks so much to all of you who continue to review!

So I know you've all been waiting patiently for the "good stuff" aka the Casey whumpage and while this chapter is not full on beating up Casey we are definitely getting there! Enjoy!

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to take a few days off?" Hallie asked as she pulled on her shirt.

Casey sighed. "Yes, I'm sure," he put his hands on her shoulders. "I feel great. I promise."

"You're still limping," Hallie pointed out. "And you haven't been sleeping well. I don't know how I feel leaving you on your own."

"Babe, you've been looking forward to this weekend with the girls for months. Go. I'll be fine."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay. I'll call you in a couple hours." She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Hey." He caught her hand as she turned to go. "Remember what we talked about. You call me if anything happens. Anything at all."

She nodded and then headed out the door for her weekend away, leaving Casey alone for the first time since the Voight incident. He sank onto their bed, his breath catching as pain shot through his side. Hallie had been right; he felt like crap, but there was no was he was going to tell her that. Getting her out of town meant she was safe and he wouldn't have to worry about her while on shift. It gave him a few days to figure out his next step.

Lightheadedness assailed him, a sensation he'd been trying to keep at bay since the attack. It was making it hard to keep his eyes open despite the ache in his hip and the stabbing pain in his side. He looked at the clock. Two hours until he had to be at the station. He'd just close his eyes for a few minutes and then get ready to go.

Casey's phone woke him two hours later. He squinted against the light as a dull headache throbbed in his temples. "Hello?" his voice was a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello?"

"Hey Baby," Hallie spoke on the other end of the line. "Are you at work?"

Casey glanced at the clock and fought the urge to swear. "Yeah, I'm almost there." He stood and the pain in his side almost took his breath away.

"Okay, well I just wanted to check in. We should be to the hotel in about

fifteen minutes. You sure you're doing okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Listen I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, love you!"

"Yep, love you too."

Casey hung up and this time swore in earnest as he grabbed his work bag. He was going to be late.

* * *

Three ibuprofen and a cup of coffee had him feeling somewhat better by the time he got to the station. A glance at the cars on the street told him the rest of the crew had already arrived and so had Antonio Dawson. Casey closed his eyes briefly. It was going to be a long shift.

"How are you feeling?" Antonio asked after they'd been looking at tattoos for awhile.

"Better," Casey told him. "No permanent damage."

"How's Hallie?"

"Nervous. She's worried I'm going to go after Voight myself."

Antonio looked at him. "You're not right? Because let me tell you Casey, if you do, I cannot help you. You won't be able to come back from it."

"Relax," Casey held up a hand. "I'm not going after him."

"Good. It's just gonna take a little time. Voight's got his finger in a lot of pots but it's going to be hard to prove it. We need more to go on than word of mouth."

"Well then let's get it," Casey turned back to the books of tattoos in front of him and began turning the pages for what seemed like the hundredth time.

It was a slow start to the shift, something for which he was grateful. The pain in his side had returned with a vengeance about an hour after he got to the station and looking through the books was making his vision blurry. He sighed in frustration.

"Nothing?" Antonio asked.

"I don't recognize any of these," Casey gripped the edge of the table. "Damn it!"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Give it some more time. It may come back to you," Antonio put a hand on Casey's shoulder. "I need to get going anyway. Call me if you think of anything."

Casey stalked off to his office and laid down on his bed with a groan. Those photos had been their best shot at getting Voight and he had blown it. All because he couldn't remember what some gang banger's tattoo looked like.

He had just closed his eyes when the tones rang out. It was with huge effort that he dragged himself off the bed and down the hall. "Almost left without you Lieutenant," Otis said when he finally climbed aboard the rig.

Casey's glare silenced the younger man and the rest of the ride was spent in stony quiet.

The call was for a structure fire in a downtown apartment building. A multiple alarm fire, it had already taken hold of the building when they arrived. Casey moved with as much speed as his aching body would allow. "Hermann, Cruz grab the hoses. Mouch, Mills, Otis, with me!"

"Casey! We'll start at the top!" Kelly called.

Casey nodded and took his crew into the building.

The fire was hot, intense, the smoke dark. "Fire department! Call out!" Casey yelled into the darkness.

There was a groan to their left. "Hey buddy!" Mills shouted at the large man leaning against the wall. "You've got to get out of here!"

"No! I can't go. My things." The man coughed violently.

"You gotta go buddy," Casey moved toward him. "Come on."

"No!" the man yelled and lurched forward. He launched himself at Casey who suddenly found himself lying on the floor completely breathless as the man's full weight landed on his abdomen.

"Hey!" Hermann and Mills both grabbed hold of the man's arms and tried to pull him off of their leader. "Chill out buddy! We're here to help!" Mills yelled.

"You all right Casey?" Mouch asked holding out a hand to help him up.

Casey tried to catch his breath as pain ripped through his side. "Get him out of here!" he wheezed as he struggled to his feet. "Go!"

Mills and Herrmann began pushing the struggling man toward the door. "That guy was feisty," Mouch commented.

"No kidding," Casey put a hand to his ribs and tried to ignore the pain. "This way!" he motioned toward the stairs. "First floor is clear. Moving to the second," he radioed.

"Seven and six are clear. On our way to five," Kelly's voice answered.

Casey and Mouch started up the stairs. "Wait, where's Mills?" Casey asked. The kid could not be disappearing like this in the middle of a fire!

"You sent him out!" Mouch called. "Remember?"

"Oh," Casey blinked trying to get a grip on his thoughts. Had he done that? "Right. Yeah."

"Casey?" Mouch put a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

Casey's breathing was loud in his own ears. Sweat stung his eyes and his vision swam. "Casey!"

Mouch's voice snapped him back to reality. Casey swallowed hard. "Let's go!"

They met up with Kelly and Capp on the fourth floor. "All clear," Kelly yelled when he saw them.

"Let's get out of here. The stairs are gonna go any second!" Mouch replied.

The four started down to ground level, Casey bringing up the rear. They reached the first floor just in time. There was a loud crash and they looked up to see part of the staircase come down onto the second floor.

"That was closer than I like," Capp remarked.

"Tell me about it," Mouch agreed as they headed for the door.

They were nearly to it when Severide realized Casey wasn't behind him. He turned around to see his friend moving back into the building. "Casey!" he grabbed the Lieutenant's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"We have to clear the floor. Stick with me Andy."

Kelly stared at him. "Casey. It's me. Kelly."

"Right, right, yeah," Casey looked dazed. He glanced again toward the fire. "Are we clear?"

"Yeah, it's all clear. Let's get out of here," Kelly pushed Casey in front of him and they headed once again for the door.

They made it outside this time and Kelly stripped off his helmet and mask as Casey did the same, gulping in lungfuls of clean air. "What the hell was that?" Kelly asked.

"Nothing. It just slipped out."

"Nothing? You expect me to believe that you calling me Andy and going back into a burning building was nothing?" Kelly asked. "What is going on Matt?"

"Kelly!" Capp beckoned him over to the rig.

Kelly pointed a finger at Casey. "This discussion is not over."

Casey sighed and sank down onto the back of the truck, putting his head in his hands, trying to push away the fatigue and confusion that had entered his mind. "Casey?" Herrmann had wandered over. "You all right? That guy was something else."

Casey forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's get this cleaned up."

"You know what. We got this," Herrmann said casually. "Why don't you take a breather?"

Casey knew what the older man was saying but refused to take the hint. "I'm fine. We've got work to do."

By the time they arrived back at the firehouse Casey's brain felt like mush. He was tired and his side burned and just wanted to go lie down. Instead Kelly cornered him in the bay. "Hey! What's going on with you?"

"I'm fine. Just got a little confused in all the smoke."

"Casey-"

Casey held up his hands. "Look, I really don't need a lecture right now. I got confused. It happens. Let it go Severide."

He pushed past his friend and headed for the solitude of his office leaving Kelly standing alone in the bay.

* * *

Kelly stared after his friend trying to figure out what had just happened. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He headed toward the dorm. He needed a second opinion.

Kelly caught his roommate in the hallway. "Shay!" he jogged toward her.

"Hey, you'll never believe-" she started eagerly and then caught the look in his eyes. "What's up?"

"Something's not right with Casey."

"Not right how? He did get his ass handed to him the other day. I'm sure he's moving a little slower than usual," she assured him.

"Shay, at that fire, he called me Andy."

A look of shock crossed Shay's face. "What?"

"Shay!" Dawson's cry came from the bay and was laced with fear. Shay and Kelly's eyes met and they both took off at a run. Casey was in trouble.

* * *

A/N: So….thoughts? Questions? Comments? I'll take any and all!


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